The device was discovered 2 months after launch.
At the end of 2023, a SpaceX rocket launched the X-37B, a secret spaceplane of the US Space Force, into Earth orbit. The launch parameters of the spaceplane were not disclosed, but 2 months later it discovered enthusiasts.
The X-37B spaceplane was found by Finnish enthusiast Tomi Simola, who installed a camera to monitor satellites. This is what the spaceplane looks like in pictures taken by Tomi’s camera and published by an enthusiast.
Data obtained from Tom’s observations made it possible to calculate the orbit of the spaceplane. It turned out that the X-37B flies in a highly elliptical orbit: it either approaches the Earth or moves away to a great distance.
If the calculations are correct, then the altitude of the spaceplane’s orbit varies from 323 to 38,838 kilometers. For comparison, the first altitude roughly corresponds to the orbit of the International Space Station, the second is slightly higher than geostationary orbit.
The X-37B has been launched into space for the seventh time. According to officials, the spaceplane is being used to test “new orbital regimes,” experiment with new technologies and evaluate the effects of radiation on materials provided by NASA.
In addition, there are plant seeds on board the spaceplane. During the flight, they will be exposed to the Earth’s radiation belt; the project participants intend to find out how the seeds will react to such exposure.
There is no word on when the X-37B will return to Earth. A spaceplane can spend a very long time in space; the last time the X-37B returned to Earth was only 908 days after launch.
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